PUHIWAHINE — MAORI POETESS by PEI TE HURINUI JONES

Second Instalment Some of Puhiwahine's songs, and her love affair with Mahutu are still famous in the Maori world today. Mr Pei Jones, the noted Maori scholar, has written a long essay on her life and songs which is being presented in this magazine in five instalments. In our last issue Puhiwahine's early life was described and her unfortunate love affair with Hauauru. Following this episode she made a trip to Otaki on which she composed a long and delightful action song. After this, still trying to forget her unfortunate love,’ she continued travelling from place to place. From Paripari, the Taupo party went on to Orahiri where they were the guests of Te Anatipa, the chief of that place. Stories of Puhiwahine's romantic life had preceded her, and she was the subject of a good deal of gossip among the women of the Maniapoto tribe. Her broken romance with Hauauru still seemed to have had an effect on her during her stay at Orahiri, for during the whole time she was there she maintained a subdued composure. Their host, Te Anatipa, made tentative advances to her but received no encouragement whatsoever, and all he got for his pains was an angry outburst from his wife, Huriana, in the presence of his guests. Puhiwahine's brothers had to return to Taupo from Orahiri, and after giving their sister some good brotherly advice, they returned home and the rest of the party went on to Ahuahu on the Kawhia Harbour. Te Poihipi, the chief of Ahuahu, treated his guests in a most lavish manner with frequent feasts, and several canoe excursions to many of the villages around the harbour. Before long, as opportunity offered, Te Poihipi made love to Puhiwahine. He was most circumspect about it and the Taupo never suspected anything was afoot. There were many places of interest to visit, and among other places they called at was Maketu; the place where the ancestral canoe, Tainui, was hauled ashore to its last resting-place. At this sacred spot the Taupo people were so preoccupied with the interesting and pleasurable experiences of the festivities specially arranged for their entertainment, that they did not notice that Te Poihipi and Puhiwahine were missing until the time came to move on to another village. It was two weeks later before the excursionists returned to Ahuahu. The fears of the elders of the Taupo party of an escapade on the part of Puhiwahine were more than realised. When the canoes were beached the party was greeted by Puhiwahine with the startling news that she and Te Poihipi were going to be man and wife! The elders remonstrated with her, and they lost no time in calling on Te Poihipi to explain that, in the absence of the brothers, they could not approve of the marriage of their kinswoman. The matter became the subject of a tribal discussion with Te Poihipi's people, and the upshot of it was the Taupo party decided to move off to Whatiwhatihoe, where it had been previously arranged they were to be rejoined by Puhiwahine's brothers.

A COUSIN LOVER Whatiwhatihoe in those days was an important meeting place of the tribes. The site of the village is on the western bank of the Waipa River at the foot of Pirongia mountain. Tribal gatherings there used to attract hundreds of tribesmen from far and near. Among those present at the time of the arrival of Puhiwahine was her distant cousin, Te Mahutu Te Toko, of the Maruapoto tribe. He was a striking figure of a man with his face only recently tattooed by the leading artist of the Maniapoto—the same man who had done the tattooing on Te Heuheu (Patatai) Tukino. Te Mahutu was a fine orator, a good singer and a lively conversationalist. When these two ardent souls met it was a case of love at first sight. Puhiwahine's two brothers had not arrived, and she became obstinate and deaf to the arguments and pleadings of her elders. The brothers had been delayed and the two lovers were constantly together. Many days passed before Ketu and Maraku